Parks Group Seeks Emergency Court Action to Protect Mojave National Preserve

Parks Group Seeks Emergency Court Action to Protect Mojave National Preserve

Preliminary injunction motion filed to prevent further damage to national park

Contacts

Miranda Fox, Earthjustice, [email protected], 415-283-2324

Caitlyn Burford, National Parks Conservation Association,
[email protected], 541-371-6452

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) today filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to immediately halt further unlawful mining activity at Colosseum Mine within Mojave National Preserve, a unit of the National Park System.

Mining at Colosseum ended in 1993, and the National Park Service was in the final stages of reclaiming the mine and returning it to public use. In an abrupt reversal, however, the Trump administration approved new mining at Colosseum in April 2025. Recent grading, bulldozing, and road development at Colosseum has caused documented, irreparable damage to the desert landscape and limited public access to the Preserve.

NPCA, represented by Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit in April challenging the Trump administration's decision to allow operations at Colosseum Mine to proceed, alleging violations of multiple federal laws that protect America's national parks from harmful mining impacts.

Through this request for an injunction, NPCA is asking the Court to step in to protect this fragile desert environment, which Congress chose to preserve in perpetuity for the American people under the 1994 California Desert Protection Act.

Statement from Chance Wilcox, NPCA's California Desert Program Manager:

"What's happening right now at Mojave National Preserve is gut-wrenching. To see parts of this landscape, in the heart of the Clark Mountains, being stripped bare and graded down to dirt is hard to put into words. We can't sit by and allow irreparable damage to change this place that was promised to future generations, and that's why we're urging the court to step in to protect the park now."

Statement from Katrina Tomas, Earthjustice Attorney:

"Bulldozing, road construction, and mining within the Mojave National Preserve will irreversibly harm the desert landscape in one of our most treasured public places. The Colosseum Mine is proceeding with operations despite being in violation of national environmental laws. We're seeking a preliminary injunction to halt this destruction before it's too late."

Additional Resources

• About the California Office

About Earthjustice

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.